Wash. state residents kill Seattle Police drone program

After Wednesday night's Public Safety, Civil Rights and Technology Committee hearing in Seattle, where residents raised concern over the Seattle Police Departments attempt to use surveillance drones, the program was successfully killed.

After President Obama signed a bill last February that will allow as many as 30,000 drones to be flown by anyone from police to the Department of Homeland Security within the United States, Seattle became one of 50 organizations in the country to be granted permission from the federal government to start using drones.

“Today I spoke with Seattle Police Chief John Diaz and we agreed that it was time to end the unmanned aerial vehicle program so that SPD can focus its resources on public safety and the community building work that is the department’s priority. The vehicles will be returned to the vendor,” Mayor McGinn wrote.

The city was in the process of developing an ordinance to set up guidelines and regulations for drone use, but Seattle residents weren't having it. During an October public meeting where the department's drone was being showcased, police were overwhelmed by protesters also.